Canada's first scheduled widebody cargo flights are being launched by Winnport Logistics, a consortium of 43 transportation companies.
The Winnipeg, Manitoba-based consortium has leased a Boeing 747 freighter from Evergreen International Airlines, and will operate three flights a week between Winnipeg and the Chinese cities of Nanjing and Shenzhen. The services will operate via the shorter Polar route and are designed to offer an alternative to the more congested North American entry and exit points of New York and Los Angeles.
The consortium plans to add a second 747 in mid-1999 to enable the addition of flights to Singapore or Malaysia. The fleet is expected to grow to five 747s by 2004, a total which will enable operations to be expanded to include Europe and South America.
In September, Canadian 747 freight carrier Canada West Airlines received approval to operate flights from Toronto to Paris and Frankfurt, but it is believed that services have not yet begun.
Source: Flight International
